Hamza Shahbaz does not fix the rates of chicken and eggs in Punjab:Cj Arshad Jutt

Lahore: Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Livestock Ch. Muhammad Arshad Jatt presided over a meeting in which President Poultry Traders Association Lahore Tariq Javed and other office-bearers participated. Senior officers of Livestock Department including Dr. Israr Hussain Chaudhry, Director Communication & Extension, Deputy District Livestock Officer Poultry Dr.Rahat Ali and Dr.Iqbal Shahid, Deputy Secretary (Technical) were also present on the occasion.

Ch.Muhammad Arshad Jutt termed the statement of Maulana Tahir ul Qadri regarding fixing of prices of poultry products by Hamza Shahbaz as baseless and concocted and said that it does not behave to a religious leader to level false allegation without verification against an honourable parliamentarian.

President Poultry Traders Association Tariq Javed said that a committee constituted by Lahore Poultry Traders Association and Tollinton Market Traders Association fixes the rates of chicken meat and eggs in the provincial metropolis on daily basis keeping in view the supply and demand. He said neither any political nor any government member is included in the committee.

Lahore Poultry Traders Association also strongly contradicted the statement of Tahir ul Qadri and said that this statement has been issued on the basis of wrong information.

Ch. Arshad Jatt said that Punjab government upholds the interest of the people, that is why, the prices of chicken meat and eggs are less than other provinces. He said that today the chicken meat rate was Rs.188 per kg in Lahore whereas in Karachi it is Rs.232 per kg and in Peshawar Rs.366 per kg. He further told that the rates of eggs per dozen in Punjab are Rs.98 whereas in Karachi Rs.107 and Peshawar Rs.114. therefore, the statement of Tahir ul Qadri about the prices of chicken meat and eggs is totally wrong and a bunch of lies. He said that poultry is the second biggest industry of the country and a business of more than 200 billion rupees is done and more than 15 lakh people are associated with this business. Therefore, not a single person or government can influence prices in any respect, he concluded.